Global Hawk
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Northrop Grumman Corp.'s Integrated Systems Sector has been awarded one of four concept exploration study contracts for the Multi-mission Maritime Aricraft (MMA)/Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) program. The study is expected to be completed by year-end.
The company's concept is for a hybrid manned/unmanned system. This employs a reduced number of manned MMA's, but multiplies their effectiveness through cooperative engagement with a fleet of adjunct high-altitude endurance unmanned air vehicles (UAVs).
The U.S. Navy commissioned the studies because it will soon have to upgrade or replace its fleet of aging P-3 and EP-3 aircraft. Northrop Grumman's concept is "MMA independent," in that the manned platform could be a new or revitalized P-3 aircraft or a derivative of a commercial aircraft. The UAV element could be a derivative or a new design of the Global Hawk, leveraging the company's growing experience with UAV technology.
"We are going to explore how linking our Global Hawk UAVs with a smaller MMA fleet could save taxpayers $2 billion or more, depending on the structure of the program, compared to a total fleet of MMAs," said Louis Carrier, Sector Vice President of Airborne Early Warning and Electronic Warfare Systems business unit in Bethpage, NY. "Yet our hybrid manned/unmanned system will be a far more effective force."
Northrop Grumman's hybrid manned/unmanned system has the potential of performing the entire command, control, communications, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance spectrum of missions as well as several other patrol missions.
The company's study will explore how a mix of the two will give the Navy an enhanced maritime surveillance capability while reducing both procurement and life-cycle costs. It will also examine how such a combination will enable a more flexible concept of operations, reduce crew exposure to threats, and provide more efficient use of the MMAs.
Frank Bokulich
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Aerospace Engineering September 2000
